I'm sure this has been talked about on here, but the co-op in GTAIV was OK. Problem was if you wanted to gain rank and money you had to do a ranked match. No big deal EXCEPT they didn't allow you to invite your friends into the ranked co-op matches, which in all honesty, is f***ing stupid! Want to play with your friends? Unranked player match was your only option. Which earned you nothing. A big part of the fun of the GTA online experience was unlocking new clothes and what-not. Really disappointing. A friend and I spent some time trying to just hit the rank match button over and over until we got into the same game. Neat! Oh wait, we forgot, the game goes out of it's way to end your session after every game so that people couldn't get into a grove and play co-op with the same people. Presumably so you couldn't figure out a way to farm cash with three of your friends. Why not make the co-op unlockables separate from the deathmatch stuff then? Anyways, rants over. I had to blow off steam about that. It just infuriates me when I think about it.

I bought GTA4 on the 360 and the PS3, why? To play with ALL my friends in coop modes and seldomly competitive modes. I passed on all DLC for GTA4 on both systems.

Yea the matchmaking in GTA was horrible I mean its a co-op mode anyway why cant your friends play ranked with you?

There was no real co-op in GTA4 apart from a few token levels that flaoted around out of context. I think co-optimus is correct in urging a real co-op expereince throughout the campaign; even if it like Saints Row 2 and you ignore your partner in the cut scenes.

well, I just want everyone to know. Saint's Row (Number 1) came out and had co-op just how GTAIV has it. A few MP modes for ranked and unranked sessions.

so I see it as GTAIV copying SR, but not realizing SR's next game would have a co-op campaign and fully enjoyable.

I love GTAIV, I brought the first DLC for it (don't have the money nor time to invest in the next one). But Rockstar is comfortable with scripted sequences for 1 player...(sounds like Infinity Ward, doesn't it?).

Another reason why Saints Row 2's co-op was better handled, was because they weren't trying to tell one serious story, but 3 crazy action movie-like sequences. Add to that the activities and it's a game that doesn't take itself too serious, but enough (something Borderlands could learn from).

While I don't want the next GTA game to copy SR's co-op verbatim. They should incorporate campaign co-op and do it their way (preferably to Co-optimus' standards).

GTA already has homies/friends for you to play with, what's the difference if a real friend joins?

Tips:

Have each player have their own Wanted Level: Allows for great co-op when after stealing a cop car your buddy can arrange for a blockade for you.

Allow players to trade weapons during a mission to adapt to better roles: If player 1 is the best driver, but has the rocket launcher, let him pass it over to player 2 so the passenger can take out those in pursuit.

Forget about the other player(s): The main story can still be about the one player, but for each player they are the center of the story in cutscenes.

Yes, Mrxknown_JG nailed it. A full blown campaign incorporating his tips would be awesome.

Saint's Row 2's co-op was so perfectly done in my opinion, I was really upset when my friend and I finished it. But I'm almost positive even that game had shared wanted levels, that would be a big plus to have separate ones.

I hope they add a proper coop campaign in the next GTA. The reason the original Crackdown did so well because of CO-OP (and the Halo 3 beta of course)